Mike Vrabel of the Patriots, top, congratulates Richard Seymour after a second-quarter sack of Jets quarterback Brett Favre during Sunday’s game at the Meadowlands.

The Providence Journal / Glenn Osmundson

The New England Patriots may have been in unfamiliar territory on Sunday, facing the New York Jets without Tom Brady, but they made it through by wrapping themselves in a familiar favorite — the warmth of the “disrespect” banner.

Despite the fact that there were pundits, local and national, who predicted that the Brady-less Pats, under the leadership of Matt Cassel, would leave the Meadowlands with a victory, New England seemingly chose to focus on those who doubted their collective talent.

So although it was 90 degrees at game time in northern New Jersey, the Patriots showed their mettle.

No one respected us . . .

In a brief postgame interview, Randy Moss said to the media horde around him, “I don’t think there is one person in my face with a microphone that picked us to win. I’m going to end [this way]: the New England Patriots, 2-0. We got one [win] in the division, so all you haters, keep hating. We’re coming.”

As Ellis Hobbs walked — actually with Hobbs it’s more of a strut — to the locker room with his teammates after the victory, his voice filled the corridor in the belly of the stadium: “Tom Brady’s hurt! The Pats can’t win! The Pats can’t win! Yeah, right!”

Rodney Harrison, who has made playing the disrespect card into a cottage industry, commented, “We understand how wishy-washy people are. We can’t control the so-called experts on TV, sitting on their butts, saying we’re terrible or don’t have a chance. We have to prepare and go execute on the field, because all you know-it-alls can’t do anything between the lines.”

Even head coach Bill Belichick tucked under the banner with his players.

“I’m really proud of the way they played. A lot of people didn’t expect us to do much today, but these guys came in here today with a lot of determination,” he said after the game.

During the course of his day-after news conference yesterday, Belichick singled out individuals from different areas of the field — running back Kevin Faulk, right guard Billy Yates, kicker Stephen Gostkowski, special- teams coach Brad Seely — for their contributions to the win.

The implication was there: the Pats won as a team.

And that’s what was overlooked by many of the “so-called experts,” as Harrison termed them — well, us — when the rush was made to bury New England. Cassel may be a little short on experience, but he’s surrounded by savvy veterans who will always have his back (publicly, at least) and who have played in an NFL game or two.

Or in Tedy Bruschi’s case, somewhere in the neighborhood of 200.

Those players know how to win games, individually and as a team. They have won championships, lost championships, silenced doubters and made noise on their own behalf, usually on the field, which to them is the only place it matters.

Brandon Meriweather quieted those who knocked him by making a key interception; Faulk gave the kind of lift only he can, picking up first downs and providing great punt returns; Jerod Mayo continued to show that Belichick and Scott Pioli haven’t lost their touch when it comes to first-round picks, and as he cements his status as the most accurate kicker in New England history, Gostkowski has ended questions of how he’ll follow the smallish man who left huge shoes to fill when he left for Indy three years ago.

With a support system that strong, Cassel’s job was almost easy.

And his teammates will continue to do their best to make it so as Cassel settles into his new role. In time, he’ll likely improve and take on a little more of the load.

They might not be the favorites they were two weeks ago, but the Patriots showed Sunday that they’re far from the underdogs.

With Miami in town this weekend, and a game in San Francisco after the bye week, there’s a good possibility New England will head into its showdown with San Diego at 4-0.

If that happens, the disrespect banner may have to be put back in storage.

smanza@projo.com